Before our first visit to Japan, in 1986, Ted and I tried to memorize one hundred words we thought we'd need -- please and thank you, taxi, toilet, bank, subway, where, how much.

Shrimp (ebi) and train station (eki), both on our list of necessary words, were so similar that it was inevitable we'd confuse the two.

When it happened, when we were sitting in a cafe near the mountain town of Nikko, when we ordered soup noodles with a train station on top, it was funny. More so because, as I recall, the cafe actually was in a train station.

The bowl of soup noodles arrived, topped with a shrimp (yes, victory!) coated with panko, and the first bite of the light, crispy crustacean wiped away all of our embarrassment at asking for a train station in our soup.

Panko means "bread crumbs" in Japanese; it comes from the combination of pan, or "bread," and ko, meaning "powder". This particular type of jagged-edged breadcrumb has a coarse texture that resembles flakes; because the flakes have more surface area, they get crispier than regular breadcrumbs when used as a coating.

I've seen panko in three varieties; white, made from yeast bread baked in a special oven so it forms no crust; tan, made with bread crusts in the crumb; and honey, which is white but slightly sweetened with sugar. Though made from wheat bread, Panko is more delicate, absorbs less oil, and stays crunchier for longer than traditional bread crumbs.

Once you've opened the package, store unused panko in a ziploc bag, in the cupboard. Don't freeze panko, as it will absorb moisture from freezing and thawing. If that does happen, use it in meatloaf, but not for coating.

If you can't find panko at your local market, buy it online or substitute cracker crumbs, which are lighter than traditional dried bread crumbs.

Panko and mustard crusted fish

Here in New England, we can get fresh, thick cod loin from the fishmonger. Use any firm, mild white fish for this recipe. If you're using thin fillets, be sure to adjust the cooking time. Serves 4.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Dry the fish with paper towels, and set in an ovenproof casserole dish. Coat on all sides with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

In a small bowl, mix panko, lemon zest, parsley, salt, pepper, mustard, and 2 Tbsp olive oil, until the panko is moistened. Press the mixture on top of the fish with your hand, to form a thick coating.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish; with cod loin, which is at least one inch thick, I baked for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the fish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Comments

Your story reminds me of a similar situation with my dad... In Hebrew, "glasses" and "pants" are very similar. When he ran into a friend, he ended up saying to her... "Sorry I didn't recognize you, the last time I saw you, you weren't wearing your pants." OOPS!

And I'd like to add my song of praises to Panko. I never use regular bread crumbs anymore. Panko are wonderful!

THANK YOU, I so need some new recipes for white fish. First, it is super healthy and second, my kids are really starting to dig seafood!

Thanks for the tip re: not freezing panko. I never have, but then again I don't usually have it around. I DO freeze my homemade rosemary breadcrumbs and they stand up beautifully. P.s. I am abroad for a year with my family in Florence Italy!!

Panko is my go to bread crumbs for anything frying. Love the crispiness. Plus with all the bread baking I have been doing I have an overabundance of breadcrumbs already in the freezer for stuff like meatloaf.

I just came back from a half-way-around-the- state trip to buy panko and finally a bottle of shao wine when it dawned on me to ask: what is so hard about cooing with the panko? Im planning on making this tonight....any special tricks are welcome :)

p.s. forgot to say that shopping in a an Asian market is always an experience. For instance, the local supermarket maybe if you are lucky has to types of soy....the asian markets....rows and rows. Panko was the same. There were at least two shelves worth of choices. I got the one whose packaging looked the least intimidating HAHAHA

Milton, panko isn't difficult; it just cooks differently than the bread crumbs you're probably used to, because it's a flake rather than a crumb. Hope you had fun shopping at the Asian markets. I always do!

Lynda, it all depends on getting great fish. Hope you have a good fishmonger; it makes all the difference.

Bren, you can make the substitution in many dishes, especially with fish.

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Welcome to The Perfect Pantry®

My name is Lydia Walshin. From my tiny kitchen in Boston's South End, I share recipes that use what we keep in our pantries, the usual and not-so-usual ingredients that spice up our lives. Thanks so much for visiting.